South Sudan Supreme Court judge resigns

South Sudan Supreme Court judge has resigned citing lack of judicial independence in Africa’s youngest nation.
In a letter sent to President Salva Kiir on November 14 2017, a copy of which Red Pepper has seen, Justice Kukurlopita Marino Pitia said he was resigning Tuesday due to lack of judicial independence, lack of independence of individual judges and justices, security of tenure of the office of the judges and justice, lack of financial independence of the judiciary and poor administration of the judiciary, among others.

“I Kukurlopita Marino Pitia, justice of the Supreme Court of the judiciary of the Republic of South Sudan, resigns from the Supreme Court and the Judiciary of South Sudan effective the date mentioned in accordance with section 62(1) of the Judiciary Act, 2008, Laws of South Sudan,” reads part of Justice Kukurlopita’s letter.

According to him, the independence of the judiciary in South Sudan has become a mockery and pasquinade over the years.
“The judiciary lacks institutional independence, and the independence of judges and justices in performing their judicial function is interfered with and hence the guarantee of the independence of the judiciary by the Constitution and the law is a fallacy,” he adds.